


Head Space

by Allie fights aliens (Rehearsal_Dweller)



Series: Letters-verse! [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: the TARDIS gets a proper name!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-18
Updated: 2012-07-18
Packaged: 2017-11-10 05:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Allie%20fights%20aliens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Letters-verse, in which the Doctor teaches Alex a new trick, ’Tara’ becomes Alex’s mentor, and Jack finally shares a bed with the Doctor - but not for the reason he’d like to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Head Space

Sometimes, people have bad dreams. It’s a fact of life.

Sometimes telepaths have bad dreams, because they’re people, too.

Alex, being a telepath and a person, sometimes has bad dreams.

When little children have nightmares, they often crawl into bed with their parents.

When Alex has nightmares, she generally just doesn’t sleep.

At least, that was how it worked before.

—

“What are you doing awake, Alex?” the Doctor asked. “I promised that we wouldn’t go anywhere interesting while you were asleep.”

“Can’t sleep. Bad dreams.”

“What about?”

“I never remember my dreams. But I kind of… overload when I’m introduced to too much too fast. That’s why I can’t see sometimes,” she told him. “It’s best not to try to go back to sleep when I’m like this, I’ve learned.”

_21st century human brains aren’t designed for what you can do,_  the Doctor’s voice said in the back of her head.

“What the hell?” responded Alex out loud.

_It’s okay, Al. You’ll get used to it,_  his voice told her.

_…I don’t know if that’s good or bad, Doc,_  she replied.

_It’s good, trust me._

—

_Doc, this is too much. Could I go back to the TARDIS for a while? Please?_ requested Alex.

_Go on,_  he replied.

_Over here, Little One,_  the now-familiar voice of the TARDIS called. She led Alex to the doors.

Once Alex got into the TARDIS, she sat down and leaned against the console.  _Calling you ‘the TARDIS’ all the time is a bit impersonal. You’re in my head. Do you have a name?_

_Not really,_  came the TARDIS’s reply.

_Well, I’ll call you Tara. It shares its first syllable with your acronym, but it’s a proper name._

_—_

Before too long, Alex’s safe place - her happy place - had become right in between Jack and the Doctor.

She’d gotten quite used to the Doctor’s comforting presence in the back of her mind. She’d gotten used to Jack’s ever so slightly abnormal mind being there to retreat into when things got too confusing.

But she still had nightmares.

She’d taken to curling up with one of her boys for comfort when she couldn’t sleep (it helped to convince one or both of them to sleep every once in a while).

So there she was, laying awake in a darkened room between the Doctor and Jack.

_Thank you_ , she thought, listening to the Doctor snore and Jack breathe almost silently.  _Thank you so, so much._


End file.
